Ments



(No Model.) 2 skews-Sheet 1.

6. A. HUSSEY. MEANS FOR VARYING LIGHT FOR INUA NDESGENT BLECTRIG LAMP S. No. 646,666. I 6 PHJtGIItGd Sept.24,189 1 i2 2;

a2 l l 2 .2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.) v G. A. HUSSEY.

MEANS FOR VARYING LIGHT FOR INGANDESGENT ELEGTRIG LAMPS.

Patented Sept. 24,1895.

. A 7;. xx

AN DREW EGRANAM. PHDIO-UTNOWASHINGTUNIIU.

ilwrrnn STATES F'rnsrr reins.

CHARLES A. HUSSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR VARYING LIGHT FOR INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,666, dated September 24:, 1895. Applic n filed $eptemher 29, 1893- Serial No, 436,888s (No model.)

To ztZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. lEIUssEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Varying Light for Incandescent Electric Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe an incandescent electric lamp embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in a claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of an electric-lamp holder fitted with an electric lamp and comprising my improvement. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the lamp-holder. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in the plane of line 4:, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section in the plane of line 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illus trating the circuit.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figurcs.

A designates a head, which may be made of metal, and, as here shown, is of circular form. It is shown as provided with a centrally-located and upwardly-extended tubular portion a, which may advantageously be screw-threaded for attachment to a fixture, but which in the present instance simply serves to permit the passage of insulated electric-circuit wires B B through it. This head is provided with a flange a on its outer edge, and, as here shown, this flange is externally shouldered to receive a cylindric shell A. The shell A may be made of metal.

The shell A at the end which is distant from the head A is shown as being contracted into a tubular portion a It has fitted into its extremity a bushing A of insulating material, the latter being provided with a cylindric body entering the shell and also with a shoulder which extends across the extremity of the shell. This bushing is internally screwthreaded to engage with a socket C. This socket is made of metal and is screw-threaded externally and internally. This socket is connected through intermediate parts with the head A and the bushing A and with it the disks.

secures the bushing and also the shell A in place.

D D designate disks of insulating mate rial, which, for instance, may be composedot' a numberof sheets of mica laid one upon the other. Preferably these disks are of a size to bear against the interior of the shell A. The disk D is fastened to a block or bar E ofinsulating material, and the latter is secured to the head A by screws e e through the head and into the ends of the bar. These screws 6 e are shown as extending throughthe shoulder portion of the head. The shell A will have notches in its edge, so as to pass over these screws. The latter will then serve as a means for preventing the rotation of the shell.

Between the disks D D a bar D extends. This is made of metal and is shown as having the ends shouldered or tenoned, so as to fit into holes provided in the central portions of Screws (1 (Z serve to secure the ends of the bar D to the disks. The screw d is shown as passing through the bar E, as well as through the disk D and into the bar 75 D. The screw 61 passes through a block F of insulating material. It may advantageously be of circular form. The screw 61 screws the block F in place. I may here remark that the socket C is fastened to the block F. As here shown, the socket C is provided with a flange at its inner end, and is secured in place by screws fastened through this flange. One of such screws may merely pass into the block F. The other screw f passes through the block F, through the disk d and into a binding-post f the engagement of the screw and binding-post serving to clamp together the parts whichare intermediate of the binding-post and the head of the screw, and also to establish electrical contact between the binding-post and the socket C.

G G G G4 designate resistance devices, here shown as made in the form of pencils. They may be advantageously made of com 5 position of good conducting material and a poor conducting material-such, for instance, as graphite and peroxide of manganese. They may be mixed in a powdered condition, and after mixing the composition may be 2 sas es forced through a die. These pencils are of cylindric form, and at the ends they fit in cups g, the latterbeing shouldered ortenoned so as to fit in holes with which disks D D 5 are provided, and being fastened in place by screws As here shown,plates g are interposed between the heads of the screws 9 and the disks D 1), these plates being made of metal and serving, in connection with the 10 heads of the screws, to clamp circuit-wires, and so establish communication between the resistance devices.

If designates a piece of insulating material arranged between the disks 1) D It may i 5 be made of any suitable insulating material and may advantageously be made of a number of sheets of mica, here shown as being made of segmental form.

11 designates a rotary metallic shaft hav- 2o ing at one end a thumb-piece or key 11 of insulating material, the latter being extended through the cylindric shell a. This shaft H is fitted in a bearing formed in the bar D, so as to be free to rotate or oscillate. As here 23 shown, a bearing is provided by inserting a sleeve (1 transversely into the bar I), for thus a very long and serviceable bearing can be given to the shaft. The oscillation of the shaft is limited by means of a pin 7L extending radially from it and coacting with shoulders formed at one end of the sleeve (1-, these shoulders being obtained by notching the end of the sleeve.

The shaft H is provided with a metallic linger 11 and the side of the piece ll which is adjacent to this finger is provided with a number of contact buttons or pieces h k 71 7t ]L5 h. These may consist of metal cylinders externally shouldered or tenoned so as to fit into holes in the pieces H, and when so made they can be conveniently secured in place by means of screws 7L extending from the opposite side of the piece H in the tapped holes in these buttons or contact-pieces. The heads of the screws may also serve as a means for connecting wires to establish electrical communication. The buttons or contactpieces, of course, are arranged in an areshaped row concentric with the shaft H.

The cylinder A is provided with a long notch opposite the shank of the thumb-screw or key I1 and to fill this notch 1 preferably attach to the head A a strip of metal a fastened to the shoulder portion of the head A by means of a screw a.

J designates a block of metal fastened by screws jj to the block F of insulating material, said block J being arranged inside of the socket O.

The circuit connections may best be understood by reference to Fig. 6. The wire B connects with the bar D, and hence is in electrical communication, through the sleeved and shaft ll, with the finger 11 While the c5 lamp is not in use this finger rests upon the contact-piece 7L, and as this is unconnected with any other metallic part of the lamp no current then proceeds to the lamp. By oscillating the thumb-piece or key 11 the finger ll may be adjusted onto either of the contact-pieces 72.2 h h 7L5 h From the contactpiece ]L2 a wire 1 extends to the screw g.

From the resistance device G the circuit is continued by plate to one end of the resistance device G Thence it is extended along another plate 9 to one end of the resistance device G Thence it is continued along another plate 9 to one end of the resistance device G. From the latter it is continued by wires 2 and 3 to the block J, which is within the socket G.

From the contact-piece 72. a wire at extends to that plate g which extends between the resistance devices G G The resistance G, therefore, will be cut out of the circuit prcviously described whenever the finger ll is shifted onto the contact-piece 7n.

From the contactpiece Ir a wire 5 extends to that plate 9 which extends between the resistance devices G G Hence when the finger H is shifted onto the contact-picce ii the resistance devices G G will be cut out of the circuit. The wire B communicates with the screw f and hence with the socket O.

A wire 6 extends from the contact-piece 71. to the resistance device Gr. Hence when the finger H is adjusted onto the contact-piece 71. the resistance devices G G G will be cut out of circuit.

From the contact-piece h a wire 7 extends to the wire 3. Hence when the finger 11 is adjusted onto the contact-piece 7L6 all the resistance devices G G2 G G" will be cut out of circuit.

By cutting out or introducing resistance devices through the agency of the oscillating finger S the current may be varied, so as to increase or decrease the light from the lamp.

By my improvement I produce a very simple, cheap, and efficient contrivance for varying the light of an incandescent lamp.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an electric lamp holder, the combination of a socket or receptacle, two electrodes, connections for leading in wires or conductors, two disks of non-conducting material, resistance devices in the form of rods or pencils extending between and connected to said disks, a block or plate interposed between said disks, a row of contact pieces in electrical communication with said resistance devices, and a key journaled in said plate or block and provided with a finger adapted to coact with said set of insulated contact pieces, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. A. llUSSEY. Witnesses:

ANTHONY Guns, (3. A. BUsroK.

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